microsoft basic 79 chars Author: Thorbjørn Ravn Andersen Category: Christmas Challenge System: CP/M (but should work on any 8-bit Microsoft Basic) Language: Microsoft Basic 5.29 Len source code: 79 (saved as ascii) Len exe file: N/A Len code only: N/A Instructions: Clone and compile https://github.com/MockbaTheBorg/RunCPM. I did it on a Mac. In the RunCPM directory unpack the included DISK.ZIP to A/0 Copy X3.BAS to A/0 Execute the RunCPM binary, this should give an "A0>" prompt Type "DIR" to verify files are present, including MBASIC.COM and X3.BAS Type "MBASIC X3" to execute the program. Type "SYSTEM" to return to the A0> prompt Type "EXIT" to leave the emulator Comments: The code uses the fact that the desired pattern can be drawn using lines that are 45 degrees giving that an +1 change horisontally (variable J) give either a +1 or a -1 change vertically. (variable I) As they also are 6 characters apart this can be done simply by saying that we look at I+J and I-J modulo 6 to see if an asterisk should be drawn. The loop values are chosen to ensure that the pattern is drawn correctly and to avoid that (I-J) becomes negative which appeared to confuse MOD. The CHR$ replaced an IF...THEN?"*";ELSE?" " construction to save two characters. The ">0" returns -1 if true. This was fun. Thanks Mac OS X  2¾ðATTRð˜X˜Xcom.apple.quarantineq/0083;658a0a0a;com.apple.Safari.SandboxBroker.xpc;1A025890-209B-4C66-83EC-5481AA800CB9